Why Sega Genesis vs Super Nintendo Was the Greatest Video Game Console War - Retro Bird

[@chaospoet]

I grew up poor in a poor neighborhood. I mostly played the NES in the 80s on a 13 inch black and white tv in RF. I didn't upgrade to a color tv to play on until like 1992. My friends grew up in similar situations so we just had what we had. When I got my Genesis all my friends came over my place or I'd take to one of their places (depending on who had the better tv that was available to use) and we'd all take turns playing it. When one of my friends got a SNES we all went to their house and did the same. I remember one friend got F-Zero and we all took turns, learning from playing and watching, for like 2 months straight until we beat it on the highest difficulty. We were too poor to really rag on one another so we joined forces and whenever anyone of us got a new game it was a neighborhood wide event. I remember when one friend got an Atari Jaguar and we all were sprinting like the kids chasing after Stallone in Rocky 2 to this kid's house. Hilarious to think about now but back then it's how we rolled.

[@catsaregovernmentspies]

Same here. We found that some games were practically impossible on a black and white television if there were aspects that relied solely on color differences. A prime example of this is Fester's Quest on the NES. One color icon increases firepower, another color decreases it. You couldn't tell the difference on a black and white television, making the game practically unplayable. It was an in your face reminder that we were poor. But at least we had a NES. 😀

[@therant3837]

Dude same here. Even the 13 inch black and white tv. I even remember the first vcr we had. It was a floor model, and my mother still payed around $600.00 back then for one. Although The NES was cheaper in comparison movie nights were rockin'. We should remember too that home entertainment back in the 1980's was ridiculously expensive. It certainly wasn't like today where most people have a computer or a flat screen or all that. Back then.... man.... you had to be rolling in the big bucks for anything worth a darn for home entertainment. Dude.... I remember how much vhs tapes were, too. Disney movies were around sixty to seventy dollars per vhs cassette back then. Whoa buddy...... It took my mothr a couple of years of pay off that vcr, brother. Man..... it was the good old days, but also we had to be more inventive and use our imaginations for anything fun. It wasn't all "automated" like it is now..... lol

[@ironinquisitor3656]

This was the greatest console war ever. You had two consoles that were radically different from each other in so many ways unlike most of today's consoles.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Absolutely!

[@buckroger6456]

So true! Plus it was a real console war with Sega vs Nintendo instead of fanboys fighting over which is better.

[@ironinquisitor3656]

@@buckroger6456 Yeah and today Playstation and Xbox really don't have that many differences from each other.

[@jerrymccrayjr6884]

PS2 v Xbox v GameCube...

[@npc-ro6mv]

The Switch vs Playstation 5 are both radically different from each other. I think the "radical-ness" still exists to this day in the console market.

[@otakubullfrog1665]

Sega made such an impact with the Genesis that it's easy to forget that it was the only console they ever had that was competitive in the United States. I think our perception is somewhat skewed because those five years when Sega was in the race happened to coincide with a large chunk of our childhood.

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

IMO Genesis vs SNES was "the" console war and there has never been one as popular since then. Gameboy vs Gamegear sort of had one and the same for PS1 vs N64 but never the same caliber as Genesis vs SNES. I had a SNES and my friends had a Genesis so I enjoyed both systems at the time.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, a lot of people seem to have had a similar situation growing up. Not only was it "the" console war, it's hard to imagine there ever being another one like it going forward.

[@firestriker3580]

Nope.

[@DerTendou]

Imagine if Konami and Capcom teamed up to make a console in the early 90's and all their SNES and Genesis hits were exclusives on their own console.

[@allendale1]

SNES and Genesis/Megadrive had soul. :)

[@CRTgameplays]

I discovered this channel a week ago or so, and I've been going through pretty much all your videos since then, you diserve a TON more of suscribers! Cheers from Argentina.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad to have you as a part of the channel! Thank you! I appreciate it :)

[@raptorduck8785]

A mi me pasó lo mismo boludo. Me apareció en el inicio, miré un video y dije "por qué este flaco tiene tan pocas visitas". Me miré un montón de videos y le entré a los likes como el Kun a las gordas.

[@retromemories8522]

Even though I was in Team Nintendo, I secretly wanted some of the stuff the Genesis had. What I miss most about this console war was Nintendo had fight in them back then.

[@johnbowles5399]

I was a Sega boy and still am today lol. I agree with your comment about Nintendo having a lot more fight about them back then, they certainly went all out against Sega, but in Nintendo's defence they simply don't have the resources today to go toe to toe with giant corporations like Sony and Microsoft.

[@darthpryce]

@@johnbowles5399 Nor do they have to. It makes no sense for Nintendo to do the same as Xbox and Playstation. That's silly. The Switch has now outsold the 360 and PS3 and is on track to outsell the Wii next year to become the greatest selling Nintendo video game console of all time. They have no competition cause they don't need to lol. They do their own thing. Now Microsoft and Phil Spencer want to mimic Nintendo's strategy. The companies get along. They all do amazing.

[@johnbowles5399]

@@darthpryce lol yes I know they found their niche selling the same games over and over again on different systems. A new Mario game, a new Mario Kart game, a new Zelda, a new Smash Bros... Their fans seems to lap that up every games console cycle, but I always found Nintendo's 'play it safe' attitude boring personally. To each his own.

[@darthpryce]

@@johnbowles5399 To be fair all the companies release the same games over and over. They're all relatively boring compared to the innovation of old 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@Jeremyb2023]

I was also a Super NES fan... but there were certain things about the Genesis that had it's draw. For example, the Shining Force series was something that the Super NES didn't have anything quite like. The sonic games had great multiplayer. The Sega Channel was also quite amazing. The wonder boy series also were excellent and nowhere to be found on the SNES.

[@alfredocanas6802]

back in the day the reality was this: if your parents bought you a snes you will defend it to death against any genesis kid argument(attack) because it was the only console you'll ever get for a while. Nowadays as an adult it doesn't make sense to not play all those genesis games just because you were loyal to snes

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yep, that's exactly it. Fierce loyalty was the only option for some kids haha.

[@retromemories8522]

I had a pretty fierce rivalry with my friend who owned a Genesis. It was great.

[@tj1622]

I think I may be the only person who only had a snes, but also really liked the genesis. Even back then, I saw that both were great at what they did. I loved my snes for the games that were great on it, but always wanted a genesis for the games that were not available on snes.

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

I'm a hardcore SEGA genesis gamer but I will always show love to SNES no SEGA genesis gamer can deny the greatness of the SNES!!! Also while today I play on XBOX I have no love for Microsoft games at all!!! Microsoft games just don't appeal to me like SEGA and Nintendo games do!!!

[@thomastripp9002]

Great video!!! I grew up on the SNES, but I did LOVE going to my cousins house who owned a Genesis to play Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Columns, X-Men, etc. Now that I own both, I appreciate what they both brought to the table and they’re both great systems that I still play to this very day.

[@8BitGlitch79]

Growing up I was fortunate to be able to play both SNES and Genesis at the time... I would have to say I leaned more toward Genesis at that time.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's pretty cool. I had a Genesis myself but would always play the SNES when I was over at somebody's house who had one.

[@punkydudester3]

It was really cool that both consuls had their own unique style of gaming. It just wouldn't have been so memorable otherwise. Their power was similar but its the developers that made but difference. They both Appealed to different gamers and many who just wanted to play Mario and sonic. Sega was willing to do things nintendo was squeamish about. both turned out to be very successful, Many super nintendo owners eventually got a Sega Genesis later on as an adult. I am sure many of us had our mind blown when sonic was 1st played on a nintendo system. It was a dream come true and also sad at the same time Knowing Sega was only a software company after that. I am certainly glad they are still around but they seriously need to re master all of their IP's for modern consoles & co-license their loved franchises. Sega is more loved than ever and they just don't know it for some reason. If they just put all of their dreamcast games on modern consuls they would understand that we miss them!

[@jamieoiler5690]

you are rated down

[@K0ntakt5]

i owned both for their different content and advantages and weaknesses. my biggest problem with the snes is its self censorship of content and seemed more like a young kid's console generally

[@shattapinks]

Green Hill Zone! That has to be my favourite music from any video game. Sometimes I pop in Sonic the Hedgehog just so that I can run through Green Hill Zone and bop to that track. 30 years later and it still never gets old.

[@snesblindtests5884]

We had the NES, Genesis and SNES at home. We were really spoiled back then :) Not hard to guess which console is my favorite but I fondly remember the countless hours spent on the other two !

[@SharifSourour]

I was there through it but had both consoles and loved them both for different reasons. However some things I learned more recently surprised me like how well the Genesis versions of same games could be as well as SNES counterparts that could surprisingly be better in certain cases too. The show Console Wars here on KZbin really opened my eyes to that.

[@The_Future_isnt_so_Bright]

The music from these consoles is fantastic. When I finished a game as a child I would wait to see who made the music for that game in the credits. The coolest thing these days is in the comments sections is the composer of those tunes thanking everyone who loves there music. After all these years of just seeing someone's name in the credits to now having a face to go with it is so cool. Like with Duke Nukem's theme, bands will rock out this tune on youtube and in the comments section is the man himself, Lee Jackson. I guess back in the day everyone would talk about what was on the radio while I'm jamming 8 and 16 bit tunes in my head, wondering if others are doing the same. Now I know I wasn't alone. Great content my friend! you deserve more views.

[@NiGHTSnoob]

The SNES actually has one big hardware drawback compared to the Genesis other than the CPU speed, but it doesn't show up on a spec sheet. Resolution. On paper it looks like the SNES has a higher resolution, but that's actually because it has multiple resolution modes and the spec sheets everyone points to only list the highest one it can output which is used almost exclusively for still images and the like (Kirby 3 being a notable exception). Gameplay wise the SNES was generally 256x224 while the Genesis could do that resolution for multi-plats and some exclusive games, but many of its exclusives instead used a 320x240 resolution giving them extra detail or more screen space depending on the game. This is why SNES games display in an 8:7 aspect ratio when emulated or shot through an upscaler if you don't adjust it to 4:3 in the settings which causes them to blur slightly on interpolation. A bit of a damned if you do damned if you don't scenario that the Genesis often doesn't have since most of its games are a native 4:3 out of the gate. This effect also exists on CRTs though it's less noticeable due to the natural softness and the analog nature of the image, but it does still exist.

[@dycedargselderbrother5353]

I was always skeptical that 34% more pixels could yield a visible difference, especially on the grab bag quality of CRTs of the era. I think the output method would have a much stronger effect. The 8:7 -> 4:3 issue is a strong argument, however, especially given that there wasn't a consistent "native" aspect with SNES games, meaning you have to get into the developers' heads and decide game-by-game. 4:3 by default is a safer bet given that was the original end target but now there is an entire generation of people who grew up on 8:7 in emulators who think games look artificially stretched horizontally when viewed in 4:3. So it's yet another aspect of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[@NiGHTSnoob]

@@dycedargselderbrother5353 It depends on the game for sure. There are a small handful of games on both systems that run in 320 on the Genesis and have noticeably larger play areas like being able to see further ahead on platformers. I want to say the X-Men games do off the top of my head as an example but I'm not sure of that.

[@dycedargselderbrother5353]

@@NiGHTSnoob That's a good point. 25% more horizontal play area would be noticeable in a side by side comparison. I think Street Fighter II qualifies.

[@MaryTownsendRyokansDomain]

I have both of them for one reasons Genesis and SNES are both unique in their own right, but I'm a Sega fan because Sonic made me that way

[@bettywhite9634]

I was coming off my NES when I got my Genesis, and there wasn’t a SNES on the market yet. That time period turned me into a Sega fan. Sports game were the best! Then by the time the Super Nintendo was released I had already built my game collection up with Sega. My uncles bought the SNES and I got to play Zelda, Mario paint, SMW and Sim city. I eventually did buy myself a Super Nintendo. I’m truly thankful to have grown up in the front lines of the console war. I have equal love for both systems, as well my NES. To this day NES is still my all time favorite console, however SNES & Genesis are as well.

[@caldwin]

Today: I own Playstation, you have an X-Box. Whatever floats your boat. Back then: I own SNES you have Genesis. You and I are enemies now.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

hahah

[@ShinryuZensen]

True but, when a friend had the other console, you both HAD TO PLAY both consoles together. We used to play Sonic 3 and Knuckles together one day, and then Donkey Kong Country another day. It was an amazing time, when we could get games from both consoles then talk about them every day. It was so fun.

[@gameplaypamore2417]

1992: we are enemies 2020: we are one team

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

​@@ShinryuZensenyup most of the SNES games I played like super Mario kart and star Fox I played over at my friend's house and had the time of my life and then we would switch to my SEGA genesis to play streets of rage NHL Hockey Road Rash and some of my SEGA CD games greatest time in my life as a gamer!!

[@PEHfinale]

My Nintendo-fan wife and I are still trapped in a neverending 90s console war. Our children have become the soldiers in our opposing armies, locked in battle for all time.

[@keithedward8482]

All my money was spent on the Super Nintendo, but later one of my brother's friends left a Sega Genesis at our home with a copy of Mortal Kombat II. I did not want to invest the same money into the Genesis that we did on the Super Nintendo, but luckily our local cable company was offering the Sega Channel. It allowed us to play about 50 different games a month. It was pretty cool. We had a decent amount of Super Nintendo games and the Sega channel. No one seems to remember the Sega Channel but I had a great time with it.

[@BubblegumCrash332]

I used to hook the SNES to my VCR and use Mario Paint to record 1 second bits of pictures I would draw. I was able to make little visual novels with limited animation. I need to find those VHS tapes

[@RetroBirdGaming]

We would record so many things onto VCRs back then! Yeah, I bet that would be a real nostalgia trip if you found those tapes.

[@retromemories8522]

Every time I see Mario Paint, I'm tempted to pick it up.

[@BubblegumCrash332]

@@retromemories8522 its really fun. It has a cool SNES music maker. Just make sure you get the mouse with it.

[@priorwitness]

Ugh I wish I found this video sooner. No time like the present! I had grown up in the 80s and was a teen during the 90s. I was blessed with having both the NES, and Super NES, but I did not have the Genesis growing up. Naturally I was one of those in the school playground or in the cafeteria arguing what was better and I was on the SNES side of course since I had one. However, going over to a friends house to play Sonic or NFL '94 or what have you was always a great experience. I really enjoyed my time back then and seeing the differences. I'd play the games on my console and then see the same game on Genesis at a friend's house and it was very interesting to see what those differences were. Aladdin comes to mind as being a much different game that I wish was the version we got on SNES. Today it's weird. I own both consoles now, and I find myself a lot wishing that I had grown up with the Genesis instead. It has more games on it that speak to me more than SNES did. For example, I love shooters and sports games, and that is where the Genesis blows the doors off of the SNES. I am not an RPG guy, for example, and unfortunately, that's where the SNES is at its best from what I'm told. So for me, the majority of the games I get most enjoyment from were on the console I didn't grow up with, the Genesis. So if I had to pick sides today it would be the Genesis. With that said I really enjoy both consoles, honestly. They both have an outstanding library of games, and I'm very thankful I have access to them today.

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

I'm a hardcore SEGA genesis gamer but one of my all time favorite games is and always will be super Mario world! I will never forget the first time I've seen that game and that day will be with me forever another game I still play till this day is star Fox I still can't get enough of it. SNES is and will always be a part of my life and I'm a hardcore SEGA genesis gamer!!!

[@SgtSega]

Sega was more arcade focused so the games were quick but challenging, whereas Nintendo wasn't as focused on it and instead gave us long adventures instead. Both have their merits. Sega's games were more challenging but still fun. Maintaining challenge and fun is a delicate balance. Nintendo's games are easy but fun, more of a casual stroll in a nice park. Sega is like walking through a dark forest filled with monsters and you're armed with a double barrel shotgun.

[@miriamalmeida6687]

Snes videogame ❤.sega fichas 😢

[@Bushidounohana]

Love the nod to “the game,” so to speak, or pointing out how incredible the rivalry itself was rather than making it about one console over the other. With some distance from my more fandom days of the 80s (and no longer having to pick between Sega and Nintendo), I agree with your appreciation of both consoles and their incredible libraries. Always love your perspective and quirky sense of humor. Great work outta you, recently stumbled on the channel and loving it!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad you're enjoying it and happy to have you on the channel!

[@NYCHeavyHitz212]

Indeed. It’s the uniqueness that makes this the most interesting war ever. I’d say PS1 and N64 come second because they were also vastly different for different reasons. As tech advances, all consoles run more similar than back then. Genesis sounds definitely reminds me arcade sounds. I found out something like they used the same or similar sound chip so it all made sense.

[@dariusq8894]

I would say that the game which won SNES back the market was Street Fighter II. With the hype surrounding the arcade scene at that time this one title sold systems. Genesis would eventually get it's own port but that was several years later.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Street Fighter II on SNES was a huge deal. I agree.

[@retromemories8522]

I think the differences between the ports in addition to the exclusives also made all the difference. I just remember preferring the SNES ports of Street Fighter II over the Genesis. Yet I thought Mortal Kombat was the fighter to own on the Genesis.

[@malecus7664]

I worked the entire Summer of 89 to get my Genesis. 1 friend had TG-16 but most were playing NES until SNES dropped over 2 freaking years later (Nail in TG16 coffin). Genesis really made the NES look antiquated/childish. Older brother picked up a SNES but always preferred Genesis. Love both of them kids though!

[@9unslin9er]

As long as you own both consoles, you'll have enough to play for the rest of your life.

[@marcomartins1074]

Marty's technique was used within various Mega Drive games. Example Vectorman "Press Start" screen. You can see the cram dots. Now Jon's technique never was used at least within released games, but within demoscene demos both techniques were used.

[@koobsmooth]

I started out with a SNES but later bought a Genesis for GUN STAR HEROES ( having beat CONTRA 3 A NUMBER OF TIMES) and the sports games.

[@9unslin9er]

I can't think of a single SNES game more visually impressive than Ranger X on Genesis.

[@humansrants1694]

Contra and Street Fighter II

[@9unslin9er]

@@humansrants1694 Are you in crack? Have you even played Ranger X?

[@Bubba__Sawyer]

@@humansrants1694 Not even close to as good as Ranger X.

[@punkydudester3]

I grew up in this time, in my town everyone had Nintendo except for 2 kids who also had a Sega genesis. We would trade games often, most of us rented games & had 5 or 6 games to our name. Me & my brother shared a paper route so our money went to buying teenage mutant ninja turtles & renting video games every weekend & fixing our bicycles of flat tires to maintain the paper route. It was a magical time for us but not without major life problems either. Video games became our chosen escape of fantasy.

[@iceburgslim2000]

The console wars gave birth to grown 40 yr Old Men who go to war over PlayStation/Xbox instead of just owning both.

[@wulver810]

Had all and enjoyed all, but Sega always seemed to pushed the envelope while Nintendo would stick to the same recipe.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I feel the same way, even though Nintendo put out a lot of great stuff. Sega just seemed to be trying way harder.

[@andrewt6338]

Exactly.

[@Nintendoes2]

I'm not going to lie I absolutely couldn't stand this guys videos. His look, his goofy expressions, his voice... And now I cant get enough of it. Crazy.

[@pjp9840]

In the era of online game play i would argue that video games during the 90s were much more social than they are today. You would trade and borrow cartridges from friends and get together in person to play. You had to go to the store and interact with a salesperson when buying them. Now you play with random nameless people you will never actually interact with in real life and download them without ever speaking to anyone. Old school era of gaming was so much more meaningful and fun than today...

[@timwasylyszyn9838]

I definitely lived through this console war. Like you, it’s my favorite and most nostalgic time of video gaming. I was a Sega fanboy since I owned it first. But today I absolutely love both the Genesis and SNES. I also don’t think we’ll ever see this type of console war ever again. Great video!

[@alexojideagu]

Blast Processing was a purely American marketing thing. Japan and Europe had no mention of it.

[@miles4961]

True but sega did run games faster than snes

[@GarmrNL]

I really like your video’s, been watching one daily for the past week and you have a new subscriber :) I grew up with Nintendo, but a friend had a Genesis (or Megadrive as they are called here). Those were the good days, Mariokart at my place and Golden axe at his. Nowadays I have my original SNES and a Megadrive living in peace next to my TV :)

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Nice! Also, glad you're liking the channel. Glad to have you.

[@moandaindesigns]

Yep I grew up in the console wars and it was a great time. I was the kid that Picked the TG16.... Strange system but I loved it. Then I got a SNES later and finally a Genesis.

[@retromemories8522]

I've only seen a TG16 once in a store. It was that one console I always wondered about in the back of my mind.

[@moandaindesigns]

@@retromemories8522 it has some great games but getting into it these days is super expensive.

[@buckroger6456]

Pretty good overview on the legendary 16bit console war. One thing most people over look is that Sega was super aggressive in the north America market due to its leadership. Also Nintendo pulled a lot of dirty tricks early on with Sega, like trying to keep Sega from being able to get the master system in many retailers and telling 3rd devs they couldn't port the nes version of the game to the master system. So of that carried over into the 16bit systems since Nintendo had licensing deals with 3rd party devs which often continued the no porting of this game to the genesis. This is a big reason why we often seen 2 completely different games made for snes and the genesis.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Great comment. Not that it justifies the means, but I'd say we all benefited from getting two different games in those scenarios.

[@buckroger6456]

@@RetroBirdGaming oh man as a huge fan of the 16bit era I'm glade it did happen since we ended up with some many great games and lots that were different between the two platforms. In that war we the gamers won.

[@Bubba__Sawyer]

It's funny how Nintentards were so offended by SEGA's edgy marketing campaign and don't seem to care at all about Nintendo's shady business practices back then.

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

I'm a fan of both RoboCop vs Terminator versions SEGA/Nintendo!! Both games are different and both games are awesome!!

[@Nobunaga1983]

I really feel like Sega genesis won the 16 bit console war despite selling less overall versus snes. Sega was the leading 16 bit system 1988 to around 1994 and snes only passed genesis after Sega stopped supporting the system. And if you look genesis sold better in North America, South America, Europe, Australia. Only place in the world where snes sold better was a highly concentrated area of the world Japan

[@miles4961]

Sega won many battles but no the war

[@KISSFan1977]

Great video, growing up I loved SEGA all the way but as a adult love both. That was a magical time in gaming!

[@CasperEgas]

I agree..there really was something to choose at that time.

[@otakukj]

I had both. But I remember the first party games were definitely what caught the most hype and fun to be completely honest. But that's not to say that both don't have their own sets of ground breaking games that still hold true today.

[@thanasysdim]

I am a veteran of that glorious console war and I was on the Nintendo side. Indeed it was the best console war ever. Now as you said we play both systems and we all love both. The rivalry of SEGA and Nintendo produced some of the best games industry has ever produced. It was a war where both sides won. The best kind of war.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yes, I like that take! Both sides winning. That's how I feel about it.

[@ShinryuZensen]

So true, brother. Us 16bits gamers are all united! :D

[@supernoob17]

whenever any piece of technology works slightly slower than i expect it to, like a vending machine taking a couple seconds to think about me my candy bar, or a website taking too long to load, i make a comment about how it must not have blast processing

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

Great video. You know exactly what you are talking about and I remember everything that you are making a reference to great work!!!

[@tonyspare2468]

I grew up during it and was a Genesis man. I do think that the PS1 vs N64 war was more interesting and fun, talk about two completely different visions! The Nintendo vs Genesis war felt more designed by the companies involved, where the PS1/N64 debate was schoolyard grown and the two sides were drastically different gamers. The cool part of that war was that it seemed like everyone enjoyed going to their friends house for some Goldeneye, or watching your friend explain what the hell a Saga Frontier was.

[@overnightdelivery]

There's something about playing any Sonic game with the original 3 button Genesis controller that just feels right. The bulky size and easy access to the buttons and stiff D-Pad just works so well in Sonic. It's like playing a different game and makes you want to play it. The 6-button is great for Street Fighter but not near as enjoyable with Sonic IMO.

[@TravisJones1979]

Wow bro u are an amazing person love to listen to someone who thinks like me. I'm 41.. keep it up bro don't let these classics die.. they are forever better

[@hopetagulos]

SNES vs. SMD Forever!

[@Ty-douken]

I had an SNES first, but eventually bought a Genesis by saving up for it... A kid with $500 cash from allowance who's 8 years old. Still have the same SNES, but gave up the Genesis to get an N64 around launch.

[@the_kombinator]

I lived in it partially in France. It seemed that Sega had the upper hand there, at least among my peers.

[@tedgregersenvalasko2375]

The video is directed to North American audience, as it was or is the only market to exist in the.world. It gives a rather wrong impression about Sega's perfomance and lead people.to think that Sega did not perform well worldwide. Sega.was king in nearly 44.countries here Europe.+ Brazil and Australia.. Here in Europe nobody ever gave a damn to nintendo back then. I'm starting to unsubscribe north american retrogaming channels because their knowledge about gaming history is just like their knowledge of thw world...

[@saurondp]

At the beginning of the 16 bit era I wasn't really in either Sega or Nintendo's camp. I was an Atari fan who fruitlessly waited for the comeback to mainstream prominence that never happened. Beyond that, though, I was more in the "anyone but Nintendo" camp, as I had already gotten sick of the NES and didn't want to see Nintendo continue to have a stranglehold on the US market. During the early and middle of the 16 bit era, I had an Atari Lynx and a TurboGrafx 16, both of which I was quite happy with. I had plenty of friends with a mix of Genesis and SNES consoles between them all, so I always got to play the top games for all of the systems. I ended up getting a SNES of my own towards the end of the 16 bit era and a Genesis a short while after it ended, so I truly got to experience all of the best from that era. What a time that was to be alive and a gamer!

[@willpowerrazorblade6436]

I'm surprised that you as an Atari gamer didn't get to have an Atari Jaguar, I always wanted to try Aliens vs predator for the Atari Jaguar!!!

[@saurondp]

@@willpowerrazorblade6436 I had a Jaguar also, just didn't mention it in my comment.

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

I found this console war to be so ridiculous. People would say they couldn't afford both consoles, yet the systems were both $99, the last few years, the same price as Earthbound or Virtua Racing.

[@ShinryuZensen]

It was amazing because it pushed the industry to produce better games to best the rivals. It's because of this war that many masterpiece games are still so sought after.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

That was my logic as well, if you could afford to buy several games for either console (new games back then were typically $50 in the U.S.), you could both of them.

[@ShinryuZensen]

@@lazarushernandez5827 Not really. Normally people had to stick with one game for months, before buying a new one... mainly for games' cost , then because gaming wasn't this mainstream as it is now. We have normies now who play games, when at that time us gamers were only nerds in their eyes. Very few of us had the luxury to have both systems. I remember me and my friends going to one friend's home to play SNES, then to another friend's to play GENESIS. That's how it worked back in the day.

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

@@lazarushernandez5827 Each console came with a game as well. Genesis was $99 with Sonic 2 and SNES was $99 with Super Mario World.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

@@ShinryuZensen It depended on your age, I was 18 when the Genesis came out and already had a full time job. I funded my gaming hobby. If you were younger, you likely had to rely on the parents, the birthdays, and or the allowance, it was what it was.

[@geoffgero6081]

I was a die hard Sega fan at the time. That said, playing friend's SNES systems was one of my favorite things to do. In 2002 it felt like betrayal to have Sonic on the GBA, even though I had a N64 in between the Genesis and Dreamcast were some of my favorite consoles

[@Skellotronix]

I miss the purity of fun in video games that pressured you into buying a console. We are so damn spoiled as older gamers these days with emulation alone, I will forever praise emulation workers. I miss the "different feeling" that pretty much dropped entirely with PS4/Xbox One. I go back to 8-32 bit eras the most because of how unique they all were.

[@AnthonyFlack]

All the format wars were interesting up until the point of Sega's exit. And the European 8 bit computer wars inspires passionate loyalty to this day.

[@FunFactFactoryX]

This one is incredibly well done and insightful. Really explain very well what makes a true console war. I will admit that I am from an earlier generation of gamers, and these times were absolutely more exciting in terms of the differences between approach and hardware.

[@NickEnlowe]

I was lucky enough to have both SNES and Genesis/32X/Sega CD hooked up to the TV in my room. In the early 90s, I was definitely more team Sega, but in the mid 90s, around 1995, I was more team Nintendo, thanks to games like Donkey Kong Country 2 and Chrono Trigger.

[@NickEnlowe]

​@@joyasmusicales603 Well, to be fair, I played the hell out of those awesome titles, too! But Chrono Trigger is what made me decide I would rather be a spy on both sides than be part of the console war :D And it got me looking into other obscure systems, too.

[@demonsty]

dude the face you make when you talk about blast processing and whether we believe you or not is the exact face i was making at the screen!

[@TheRealFutureMillionaire]

Sega genesis was my first console it came with Sonic 2. And my older sister had a super Nintendo so I was lucky enough to have both and I still have both systems to this date.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That sounds like a pretty sweet setup as a kid, so long as you and your sister didn't fight too much.

[@jakek5417]

I did live through this war, but I was focusing my attention on my Laser 286 PC by this point. A buddy of mine would often bring his SNES over, and I would play SNES and he would play Wing Commander on my PC. I was blown away by the awesomeness that was Actraiser, Mario World, Contra III, and finally Street Fighter 2. I didn't play as much Genesis with friends, but I remember a fair amount of Mortal Kombat and Sonic. Nowadays, I would say I like them both equally. I think one reason the console war in the 90s was more interesting than the current one is that the hardware for each system was very different, which required teams to essentially built the game twice for cross-platform games. I suspect this encouraged more exclusives from third-party developers and is responsible for how different console versions of a game could diverge substantially. Currently (if memory serves), the Xbox and PS4 both are both using an AMD CPU and AMD GPU on the same die. They are both using PC architecture and American hardware. No wonder most games end up on PS4, Xbox, and PC. Thanks for the thought-provoking video!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad you liked it! Yes, the architecture for consoles nowadays is all so similar that it's totally set up for multiplats. I think some of the best examples of when the Genesis sound was at it's worst, was when it was just trying to copy how the SNES version sounded rather than building around the uniqueness of it's sound chip.

[@jakek5417]

@@RetroBirdGamingI know SNES sound is so supposed to be much better than Genesis, but frankly, I have never noticed. This could be a good topic for a video.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

@@jakek5417 It could be it's own topic. I have considered it before and actually had to stop myself from ranting about it in this video.

[@firestriker3580]

Not true

[@elchinothegreat4977]

this is definitely the most intense console war of all time... I watch a channel named Console Wars (great channel btw) literally based on this and I always get salty when SEGA loses even if the SNES version is objectively better...idk how but SEGA somehow made me a sleeper agent that emerges whenever the 16bit era pops up pple need some fuckin learning lmaoo

[@Ledmetacdc]

I think what's fascinating about the 16 bit era is the hardware was actually very different. SNES games have so much color to them, and the mode 7 was so impactful in games like F-Zero and Final Fantasy. But the fast CPU on the Genesis avoided a lot of the slowdown issues you get with old SNES titles, and the games were really fun and performed great because of it. They were actually different, which I feel like the only real difference between PlayStation 5 and the XBox Series systems is you can actually find and buy a Series S 3 years after launch.

[@Nextliar]

In my country sega was sooo much more cheeper, so i have never seen an actual super nintendo ever, even now.

[@richardalcala4125]

Love your channel ❤️ keep up the good videos.

[@infinityeight8705]

I had the Megadrive first (sonic 1 pack) and really loved Sega, but once I saw street fighter 2 on the Snes I knew I had to have one and saved up till I could purchase one (super mario world pack). My first 2 consoles I owned and they are just as awesome now as they were back then - it's also funny how when I have picked up a game for these systems that I had never played before how the graphics and sound can still amaze you! 👍

[@blakejohnson4713]

After decades of playing games regularly on both systems, I feel like I've come to this conclusion: If I was stuck on a desert island with only one system and I could only have 25 games, I'd take the SNES. I I could have have more than that or the entire library, I'd take the Genesis/MD. I grew up loving RPGs, metroidvanias and top down shooters, and much less of a Sports, fighting game or platformer fan. So even though I adore Phantasy Star, Landstalker, Light Crusader, I gotta give Snes the edge on RPG front. But outside of a handful of non RPG Snes games (Actraiser, Zelda, F-Zero, Pilotwings, and Metroid to name a few), I don't have much interest in the majority of Nintendo's library. Outside of maybe just over 50 games, I have zero interest in replaying the majority of the Snes library. The Genesis/MD is just the opposite. It's darn near impossible for me to make a top 100 sega games list, there's just too many weird, niche games that I want to replay over and over. And even when it comes to a genre I'm not as big a fan of, say sports games for instance, I have had lots of fun with multiple hockey, football, soccer, basketball games on the genesis, whereas I only play maybe a NBA jam on Snes. Even on a lot of games that are on both systems, I tend to prefer the genesis versions more. The muted color pallet gave a lot of games a darker, more grindhouse feel to them which didn't always work out in Sega's favor visually, but I think for example Snes' Zombies Ate My Neighbors is TOO colorful comparitively. So unless we're looking at a Sunset Riders scenario, give me the sega Aladdin, Alien 3, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Earthworm Jim, Mortal Kombats, Shadowrun, Bevis and Butthead, etc.

[@mattb6522]

I grew up during the Genesis and SNES console war and it was really interesting. Most kids I knew picked a side and stuck with it because they could only have one game console. I had a Genesis as I absolutely loved Sonic, but I knew I was missing out on some great SNES games. I had to go to friends' houses to experience the SNES and we even sometimes traded systems/games. I love both systems equally now as an adult. It was amazing that both consoles had many exclusives. I kind of miss that with modern consoles. It seems beyond a bunch of first and second party support, many consoles share a good number of the same games. Many games are ported between modern consoles and don't have much (if any) exclusive content on a particular console.

[@breakfasthole]

I used to think SNES was the overall better console but missed out on some really good Sega games. I still think that but there were more great Sega exclusives than I knew about. Things get much more complicated when you start comparing games released for both consoles but Sega often wins on the versions that played better. That said, it's kinda fifty fifty on that topic and the best console is really about which games are more important to you.

[@ncapone87]

You couldn't put two better consoles together for a war. They were both amazing

[@segazone3739]

The Genesis had a hybrid 16/32-bit CPU whereas the SNES had a hybrid 8/16-bit CPU, as the Genesis CPU has a 32-bit internal data bus and 16-bit external data bus, compared to the SNES CPU having a 16-bit internal data bus and 8-bit external data bus meaning the snes was not a true 16-bit console.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Hmm... you have me intrigued to look into this deeper myself.

[@segazone3739]

@@RetroBirdGaming here's the video look for yourself and let me know what's your opinion kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn-ufK2Gpd1ri6c

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Well, you'd have to look into how having things like a 32-bit data bus and registers actually affects the console. I don't know enough about those.

[@Mittens0407]

I think the SNES still counts as a 16-bit machine despite the bottleneck. Also, fun fact: The Genesis was not faster than the SNES because of its clock speed (clock speed could be anything but what really matters is instructions per second). The Genesis is faster because the SNES CPU basically has to do twice the work because of its 8-bit data bus (compared to the 16-bit data bus on the Genesis).

[@wettuga2762]

It's because of this "war" that many games from that generation are simply awesome and timeless! I was a Mega Drive / Genesis fan myself mostly because many of my friends had one too. I had Mega Games 2 so I played Golden Axe, Streets of Rage and Revenge of Shinobi almost to exhaustion, but I still like to play them every once in a while, among many other awesome games. Never was a Sonic fan, though. Now I own both the Mega Drive and the SNES with Everdrives and Retro-Bit controllers, and it's the best of both worlds: I have all the games without needing an entire room to store them (I'm neither rich nor a KZbinr), and play on controllers that are identical to the originals without the hassle of wires.

[@Malcoladdin]

Growing up with Sega Master System I felt I always had to defend it against the OG Nintendo. I was team Sega all the way and only got a NES last year, but now I can appreciate it!

[@catvideojogos]

In Europe there was no War! We where SEGALAND in the 90's! :D

[@johnbowles5399]

lol very true! Here in the UK the Sega Mega Drive was king and the SNES came a distant second.

[@PaperBanjo64]

In North America Super Mario Bros was a launch title on the NES, but back in Japan the Famicom had already been available for 2 years already.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

You are correct. The Famicom came out in 1983.

[@tms10000]

The opening Sonic clip with Mario music made me feel all funny.

[@samr1172]

I was a tween turned teenager during this time period and it was some serious tribalism. At the time I was on the SNES side and no one could change my mind…stop looking at me Toe Jam and Earl. For today, these are both amazing consoles with so many great games. I actually have more genesis games now than I do SNES.

[@MultiDudeman]

I loved going to my friends house to play sega, sonic mostly but also other games too, and he would come over to my house to play nintendo, mario kart and donkey kong and other games, it let us get to enjoy both systems while of course each of our parents would only buy one.

[@turrican4d599]

They were so affordable, that I bought all three of them.

[@damin9913]

Super nintendo came out after sega genesis and still couldn't win against sega genesis

[@miamimagicians]

This was such a fun time to be alive! Everybody won

[@GregsGameRoom]

Hard to argue a better console war than Sega vs. Nintendo... Atari vs. Coleco vs. IntelliVision was pretty good too. (Or computer-wise Atari vs. Commodore.)

[@jeffgoodnough9704]

4th gen is the only one I consider a console war... the NES and Genesis both were relatively expensive, and very few were the households that had both. In my community, your allegiance was likely chosen by your parents, but if you were lucky enough to have a console, you defended whichever choice your parents made to the death (of your honor). I was on the Sega side, and the Genesis remains my favorite, especially for the sound, but the SNES definitely took the cake for Mech games. The console wars ended in the course of the fifth generation; partly because the Playstation swept the show, and partly because it became normal for a household to own two consoles.

[@ConstitutionalRepublic00]

I had both SNES and Genesis as a kid. I loved them both for different reasons.

[@michaelmanning9028]

SEGA CHANNEL!!! so revolutionary, I was a Sega kid, I enjoyed more of an arcade style of game pop in and out sonic, 2d fighters, nba jam, stuff like that, as I got older I started enjoying rpg's so I didn't get into the snes until WAY late, I had my N64 before my SNES 😅 Genesis did have a couple great RPG'S though Crusader of centy (can't remember if that's what it was called or not hope I'm at least close) lost it in a house fire and its stupid expensive now so I never replaced it,a really good Zelda style game and of course phantasy star, it all depends on what you want to play 😀

[@tonyp9313]

I lived through the Sega Genesis & Nes Console wars. I remember all the commercials for it. Commercials were better in general because you had companies attacking each other. I picked the Sega Genesis. I got that as a Christmas present in 1992. Back in the day where parents bought you the 1 console & you had to share that with your bro's & sisters. Some of my friends had the Super Nintendo, I would play that also. I love both consoles. However I would still pick the Sega Genesis just because the games play a lot smoother with better controls I find. Games like Earth Worm Jim, Mickey Mania & Lion King, I feel with Snes you have to be very precise with the controls where as Genesis it's way more lee way with that.

[@Zahir658]

I preferred both consoles when I was a kid and I still do XD . I tend to stay out of the Genesis vs Super Nintendo argument because lets be honest here, as long as you play them and have fun, then that's all there is to it.

[@trancelover1992]

Here in England the Snes was not very popular. Compared to the Amiga and the Megadrive/Genesis, I didn't know anyone who had a Super Nintendo. I was only introduced fo snes as an adult and it is an amazing console. I grew up with an Amiga and a Megadrive but I have to say that with nostalgia aside I feel the snes has better graphics and sound. I do think the megadrive performed faster though. Both where great in their own ways. Great video.

[@paulcool4384]

More than 5K subs, good job !

[@tyrellriddick6434]

Streets of Rage 2 alone basically killed the Super Nintendo 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@ianhadlock2405]

I was really a lucky kid and was able to have both of them as a kid. Damn my parents rock thanks mom and dad.

[@diegog1853]

In terms of power when you exclude helper chips, really both consoles are not really that different. The snes has a lot more colors and can have more sprites on screen, but the genesis is almost two times faster which ironically allows it to have more sprites on screen without slowing down, that is why shmups are far better on genesis. And really people don't realise just how many classic snes games used helper chips, the sfx chip is well known for star fox, dkc and others. But even kirby, mario kart and pilot wings used other types of helper chips. Which to me makes it kind of an unfair comparison, if you are bringing up hardware enhancements then is only fair to also mention sega cd games, which was the actual response from sega to nintendo's chips strategies.

[@alexojideagu]

In the UK the NES came too late. Only the Game Boy was successful in 1991. They made up for that mistake and pushed the SNES which became popular just behind the Master System and Megadrive. The marketing was completely different to the US. Neither Nintendo or Sega referenced each other. And there was no Blast Processing mentioned.

[@joeboozes]

In many ways sega genesis is better especially it's platformers and super nintendo is best and legendary for its rpgs

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

I think the original NES and Sega Genesis was the bigger console war because so many people went from an NES to the newer 16-bit Genesis. The SNES sold well but seemed it came out too late for how fast the technology was moving at the time.